Thousands of persons a year undergo surgery on their feet or legs. Many of these procedures are rather serious, resulting in a temporary loss of function and mobility. Many common devices, such as prosthetic leg braces, are used in an attempt to expedite the healing process. However, many such devices are known to cause problems such as pinching, binding, and other nuisances. Such discomforts prompt the user to respond to unpleasant stimuli in a way that is detrimental to the recovery effort. For instance, pinching may prompt the wearer to twist their leg, when keeping the leg in a neutral position is most advantageous.
Various attempts have been made to provide for a means to secure the foot and lower leg in a neutral position to aid in recovery. Examples of these attempts can be seen by reference to several U.S. patents. U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,525, issued in the name of Krivosha, describes a device and method for stabilizing the heel of a patient. The Krivosha device encompasses the user's ankle area, thereby limiting the field of motion. U.S. Pat. No. 7,066,547, issued in the name of Russell et al., describes a portable foot rest with a stabilizing means. Devices such as the Russell device provide the user a stable platform for a foot to rest upon which can be oriented in a comfortable manner.
Additionally, ornamental designs for foot and leg stabilizing devices exist, particularly U.S. Pat. Nos. D 259,675, D 380,267, and D 540,950. However, none of these designs are similar to the present invention.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives, each of these references suffer from one or more disadvantages. Many of these devices are prone to discomforts, such as shifting, pinching, or binding. Also, many of these devices do not provide for a means to discourage unnecessary movement of the lower leg. Furthermore, many of these devices function in a manner that encourages the user to avoid discomfort by moving in a way which is detrimental to the recovery process. Accordingly, there exists a need for a foot and lower leg stabilizing device without the disadvantages as described above. The development of the present invention substantially departs from the conventional solutions and in doing so fulfills this need.